Power to the Feeble,,Vix
by Go-ruden Kiba
Summary: Some Christmas this promised. Lost, and no one around to help. But what’s with this town and their church? There’s more to just Christmas than gifts. It takes a poverty vow to teach us that. No slash, TetheusAlfeegi friendship, KaiSternRuwalk brothers.
1. Early Morning

K, so don't own, don't sue. I had an idea after reading "Spanning December" the other day. So I combined that idea with two others and got this one. Hope you enjoy. No flames, just helpful criticism.

No slash/yaoi in this one, sorry. It's kind of short. –Vix.

* * *

Tetheus pulled over to the side of the road, glad he found a town finally. He had been driving all night, nonstop almost, and had had enough. It was Sunday morning, almost six, and he didn't seem to be getting any closer to his parent's home than when he started out at noon yesterday. He had another week until Christmas, so why he was determined to be there in time for the normal Sunday service he had no idea. 

He had gotten lost last night, in his attempt to find non-existent road signs in the middle of the night. So finding a town, where he could ask for directions and go to church was most welcome. He made it a point to go every Sunday, no matter what church it was. Lutheran, Catholic… didn't matter, so long as he sat through a service of some sort.

The gas station was a small one, only two pumps with a small price board that looked like the price hadn't been changed in years… still said $2.15 a gallon for premium. Right, like that was ever going to happen again. Stepping out, he stretched, and made his way over to the small food store. He reached for the handle, and found that it was locked. Huh, odd. He never remembered gas stations being closed, ever. Looking through the window, he found everything clean, and stocked, and dusted. But no people. Shrugging, he turned back to his car, and attempted to start it.

It didn't start. It wouldn't even turn over. Great… he knew he had gas, about half a tank left… there should be no reason. O-well. Just had to wait until he could talk to the station owner. Getting out again, he locked the car, and started to walk down the road. These little towns always had a dinner. Might as well find it and ask for the church and directions and a phone.

He found it. And saw it closed. Wow, they really didn't believe in having anything open here, did they? He looked around. There were little houses, and little cars, and little shops… but there were no people. What, had everyone died or something? That's when he heard the singing. Hymnals. Following it, he found a little rickety church, white washed boards and everything. Looks like something out of a text book during the segregation.

He walked carefully up the stairs, opening the door with barely a creek, and sat in the last pew. There was very little room, but everyone was packed shoulder to shoulder. His was in the only empty one. He sat just as the song ended, and everyone sat, the preacher in his black garb stepped up to the podium, smiling.

"Thank you, brother and sisters, for joining us today. And thank you; Mary, for playing that wonderful hymn." A little old lady at the piano nodded, and moved back to her seat with polite applause. "Please, turn you bibles to Isaiah 40:29…$" Tetheus opened his bible, but his mind wandered, not really listening. He wasn't sure why he went to these, he never paid attention. His mother had always ground in the importance of going to church… so he went.

Another thing bugged him… called his mind from the service. It looked like the whole town was here. The old, the young, the middle. Even the infants were here… it was six thirty in the morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen so many in a church, let alone that early.

But what really caught his eye was the pastor himself. Strange man, bright sea foam hair, even brighter copper/gold eyes. He looked a little pale, though it could just be the brightness of his hair. But after watching him, Tetheus realized what it was that drew his attention. The man never looked at his bible or notes. Actually, the podium looked empty…

In fact, if Tetheus didn't know better, he'd say that the man didn't even seem to blink during the entire sermon. Of course, that couldn't happen. Not that he knew of, anyway. But he was more interested in watching this man and the other people in the church than actually listening to what was being said. Before he knew it, the people around him were getting up and joining hands in prayer. Having no one around him, he stood, bowed his head in respect, and closed his eyes, replaying parts of the sermon without the background buzz of the words. Soon, there was a unanimous "amen" and he nodded, muttering the word himself, and stood back as the mass migrated out of the door.

With interest, Tetheus watched as two men went to the pastor at the podium; one had his hand out for a handshake, the other brought out a white cane… wait, a cane? Long stick, white, red tip… HOLY COW! The preacher was blind?!

* * *

$ Isaiah 40:29 - **Bible in Basic English**  
He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force. 


	2. Breakfast

K, so it's short again. I don't own, you don't sue. Happy! Yeah, anyway. Sorry for the wait.

* * *

The diner was full. Packed. And from the looks of it everyone was with someone else's family. Everyone kept going from table to table, one conversation to the next. And the waitresses and waiters did the same. Sitting at the "bar" he looked at his empty section on counter. No water, no food… not even his menu now that he had ordered. Everyone under the sun in the town was in the same place. It was loud, and crowded, and hot.

"Hello sir, I'm sorry, we're a little busy at the moment; I'll have your food right away." The waitress had said that about ten minutes ago when Tetheus asked about it. Wonderful. Just great. Looking around, he found an untouched glass of water in front of a man so enwrapped in his conversation that he didn't notice when Tetheus snagged his water. 'Well,' he thought 'It's not as though he was using it.'

The whole establishment got louder, and he looked over at the door. Normally, that meant that someone came in, but for the life of him, he couldn't imagine that there was someone that was missing from here. There was everyone and their uncle here in the little shop. But the glimpse of teal was enough to bring Tetheus off of his fought-for stool. The pastor was there. He was changed out of his Sunday best now. The hair and cane was the only way the outsider would have recognized him. From the pristine black suit to the grunge he was in now…

The big pair of jeans covered his feet, and was so full of holes it was amazing that they could even stay on. His shirt was no better. Flannel seemed to be a backwater fad lately. This guy was in a shirt so large it might was well have been called a tent. It, too, was full of holes. And it showed a man that looked even thinner now than he did in black… and black is meant to be slimming… the cane was the only thing he had that was clean. He was lead to a table, and was offered food…

All of which he was turned down. So that's how you get service around here… you talk like one of them. Standing, he made his way over to the table, and smiled.

"Pardon me, mind if I join you? It looks like everyone is having so much fun; I would love to join in."

"I don't recognize your voice." Preacher said. "You're not from around here, are you?" It was purely innocent. No harm in asking.

"No, I was driving through when my car broke down. Thought I would get something to eat. I saw your sermon this morning. Stirring words."

"That's our pastor for you. Father Alfeegi always knows the right thing to say."

"Please, Cesia, just Alfeegi will do. Leave the term 'Father' to our Lord."

"This is such a big community; I didn't know towns like this still existed." His order was put down in front of him. Finally! Food! "You all seem really close."

"You didn't come here to talk about our little town, did you?" Alfeegi asked, smiling pleasantly. Oh, he was good. "Why don't you tell us why you're really here?"

"My car broke down, I was lost. It just so happens that I caught your sermon, that's all."

"So you decided to sit, alone, not talking to anyone, until the one that provided the sermon shows up? Come now, I'm sure I'm the cause of your curiosity."

Damn, he was good. That was just inhuman. Unless it had happened before… which it probably had now that he thought about it. Glare to self.

"I guess I am a little curious. What's the divination of the church?" Start out easy, friendly. Be nice.

"There isn't really one."

"Wait, what?"

"You were wondering what we are. We aren't Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, Witness, or any other kind. Dividing yourself from your Christian brothers only serves to create violence and animosity. If we all study the same thing, and gather our thoughts into one group, then what's the point in claiming to be one section of a church or another if we all have faith in the same thing? Faith and belief and action is what the bible tells us to do. Why put a label to it?"

Wow, he kind of had a point. Churches put each other down, and slandered each other's names. But where in the bible did it say to do so? Just because someone thinks a little differently than yourself, doesn't mean that they are entirely wrong, right? Whatever, he'd have to think that one on his own.

"But that's not what you want to know, right?"

"Alright, I'll be strait about it. You're blind, how dose someone that's blind become the spiritual leader of a town?"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make!" Graph, stupid mayor. He just had to come up with something to say just then, didn't he? Tetheus ignored him, and turned back to find that "Alfeegi" wasn't there anymore. Actually, most of the dinner had crowded around the mayor, who was standing on the counter. Sitting back in the booth, he picked at his eggs and bacon. Some town…


End file.
